


haunted house

by hyunghoney



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Babysitting, Domestic Fluff, Halloween, Haunted Houses, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mentioned Lee Minhyuk, where hyungwon meets his boyfriends while dressed as a unicorn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 12:48:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16475867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyunghoney/pseuds/hyunghoney
Summary: "And this is uncle Hyungwon, the pink unicorn!""Yep! That's me!" Hyungwon somehow summoned the energy to smile at Jooheon, although it hid a scream for help. "I'm a unicorn!"(October 31st, 2018 – Hyungwon and his boyfriends reminisce to the day they met.)





	haunted house

**Author's Note:**

> It's not Halloween anymore where I am, but it is in some part of the world, right? Happy reading!

**October 31st, 2018**

**5.58pm**

 

The air smells sweet when Jooheon comes home. The scent of specialty candles like “Black Magic” and “Spiced Pumpkin” mix pleasantly with the wafts of smells from different candies that drift out of open windows. He waves at a few children playing in the lobby of his apartment building, all infected by the spirit of Halloween. They make various monster noises at him and all beam when he pretends to be scared. The lobby itself is covered in orange and black, a plastic pumpkin sitting on the edge of the welcome desk. He nods at the receptionist and heads upstairs. 

 

When he arrives at the seventh floor, sounds of a movie blasts from his house. He looks worriedly around, but it doesn’t seem like the neighbours are home to be disturbed by it. Through the door that is wide open, he can see his boyfriends, up to their necks in the huge pile of blankets on the floor. Changkyun, wide-eyed, mouths along to the script as the movie plays. Hyungwon, with his hair dyed freshly pink, dozes off next to him, looking like a sakura. Jooheon’s heart swells. 

 

“ _ We've been waiting for you, Coraline, _ ” Changkyun whispers in unison with the Other Mother. 

 

Hyungwon, surprisingly, is the first to notice the third part of their little trio standing in the doorway. He doesn’t get up, lazily opening his arms to invite Jooheon into the cuddle. Changkyun smacks Hyungwon’s hand out of his face so he can continue being a nerd about _Coraline_ , and gets smacked in return by a huffing Hyungwon. Jooheon heads off to change into more comfortable clothes first, carefully sidestepping the television on his way to the bedroom. 

 

“We’ve been waiting for you, Jooheon,” Hyungwon tells him when he joins them a few minutes later, comfortable in a pullover and shorts. He giggles at his own wit. Changkyun laughs sarcastically. Jooheon rolls his eyes. Hyungwon giggles harder at their lack of amusement. Changkyun stretches lazily, putting his leg in Jooheon’s lap. Hyungwon gets up quietly, leaving them to cuddle. He returns with a bottle of cider, their mugs clasped precariously under his arm. 

 

The movie continues to play as they sip their cider. Changkyun refuses to let Hyungwon sleep, despite his valid protest that they’ve watched Coraline every Halloween for the last two years. Jooheon takes Changkyun’s side – “Hyung, you’ve gotta respect our boyfriend traditions!” – and Hyungwon gives in easily, too whipped for the two of them. Changkyun reminds them that they have to prepare candy for the trick-or-treating children. 

 

Jooheon wonders what he did to deserve his boyfriends. 

 

* * *

 

 

**October 31st, 2015**

 

Hyungwon never believed that he was once a child. To say he simply didn’t understand them would be an understatement. They were as unfamiliar to him as aliens. Of course, this was not to say he didn’t  _ like _ them. Hyungwon loved children more than anything, even if he couldn’t understand them in the least. And he had the biggest soft spot for his baby cousin. He had to admit, though, there were times that it was extremely hard to keep up this affection. 

 

Case in point: His cousin Minji had him gripped in one chubby hand, dragging him determinedly towards a souvenir shop, overpriced merchandise displayed proudly in the window. The little rascal was dressed in her halloween best – a crimson cape over an adorable mini-tuxedo – and marched on ahead, lisping loudly through oversized fake fangs. Her friends trailed behind the pair: One Buzz Lightyear, one Princess Peach, and one Pokemon he couldn’t quite name. They shouted excitedly, talking over each other and speeding past him on their tiny feet. It was only this adorable display that helps Hyungwon maintain his patience even as he was forcibly taken to the latest overpriced shop in a long list of ones they'd already visited. His wallet cried as they entered the shop. It was only 3pm and he'd already lost more than twice the stipend his job as a journalism intern could have given him.

 

His uncle had warned him to harden his heart, when he'd entrusted his daughter (and the three other overexcited toddlers) to Hyungwon for the day. Hyungwon had known that would not be an option the minute he'd laid eyes on the kids.

 

"Okay, but this is the last store, okay?" Hyungwon told them in an attempt to be authoritative. It was not easy to be taken seriously when he was wearing a huge glittery pink horn on his head, but he does his best. They pout, but he toughened up and herded them into the shop. He watched the kids as they run in a pack around the shop, annoying everyone in their vicinity without a care in the world. He definitely had never been a child, at least not in the way that they have.

 

The haunted house they came for is in the middle of a big Halloween fair. Its occurrence every year was the bane of existence for every parent of toddlers, with its unreasonably high ticket prices and even more unreasonably high prices of souvenirs, toys, and unhealthy food. Hyungwon hadn't realised how much it would drain his wallet and energy when he'd agreed to take the kids that year. Still, he could handle the loss of his hard-earned money. What was especially bad was the complete and utter loss of his little dignity.

 

Parents and toddlers alike stared and snickered as Hyungwon washed by in the sea of adorably dressed-up children. Hyungwon wished he could pull the hood of his onesie further down so he could hide his face. His weak heart had forced him to agree too easily to Minji's demand that he be appropriately attired for the celebration. He'd subsequently spent $50 at one of the shops on a unicorn onesie that had been specially picked out by the throng of children. Their happy babbles and restless energy had been enough to convince him that it was worth it. He was not so sure anymore, shyly avoiding the stares of passers-by.

 

The haunted house finally opened its doors at 4pm. Hyungwon herded his children to the front of the queue, apologising profusely to strangers that they stepped on in their rush to the front. He lost sight of his baby cousin for one second and when he found her again, she had face-planted right by the entrance. Hyungwon dashed over to her in a panic.

 

"Oh no, are you okay? I'm so sorry," he heard as he arrives at the scene. A man knelt by Minji's side, a look of desperation on his face as she wailed. Hyungwon's heart ached at the sound of her cries. He reached her, scooping her into his arms with a strength he wasn't aware he had. He  _ didn’t _ glare at the man who she'd apparently tripped over, who was still apologising, a look of utter guilt on his face. To Hyungwon, he explained, "I didn't see her running, so I accidentally tripped her. Will you tell her I'm sorry? I hate seeing kids cry."

 

Hyungwon just nodded, distracted by Minji's soft sniffles as he rocked her in his arms and cooed to her. The crying of children could be contagious, and he didn’t want to be surrounded by a group of wailing toddlers while dying of shame in a unicorn onesie. It took a while. She finally calmed down, looking at him with wet, wide eyes. His heart melted right there and then. He maintained enough exposure to plant a kiss on her tiny soft head and adjust the way he's carrying her. He gently called the other children closer, and they start the queue. He didn’t notice when the stranger walked away, red-faced with embarrassment.

 

* * *

 

Jooheon knew he couldn’t blame anybody but himself for the situation he was in – it should be common sense not to take on a dare to "visit the famous Halloween haunted house" if one always freaks out at the thought of going. Jooheon, being a creature of little brain, had taken on that very dare. The reasons are, to this day, still unknown. Now that he was actually there, he was not as loudly panicky as he'd expected to be. He'd been more focused on using his phone and downing way too much water to drown his anxiety.

 

He only realised Changkyun hadn't been with him when he arrived back. When Changkyun returned from checking when the doors would open, Jooheon was more than ten minutes into a game of Temple Run, getting hyped to break his record. It took a while of his boyfriend huffing and shifting before Jooheon notices him. He paused the game and looked up from his phone to see a blushing Changkyun.

 

"I tripped a kid!" He whined, once he saw Jooheon looking at him. "She was crying and I didn't know what to do so I was just like I'm so sorry tiny baby please don't hate me."

 

Jooheon laughed at his boyfriend, who then launched into describing the toddler incident in heavy detail, right down to the adorable fangs worn by the wailing kid, and the giant pink horn on the angry "father"'s head. Of the two, Jooheon had always been better with kids. This didn’t stop Changkyun from being absolutely whipped for them anyway. Plus, it only helped Jooheon be even  _ more _ whipped for Changkyun. He watched, smitten, as Changkyun explained the heart-aching loudness of the kid's screams.

 

"That's not important right now, Kyun," he scolded. Changkyun only giggled and laughed at him. It was only four in the afternoon and they were already queuing for what promised to be the scariest experience of Jooheon's life. He felt the weight of his wallet in his pocket, though significantly lighter than it had been that morning. He couldn’t believe he really paid so much for front-row tickets to the loss of his sanity. He was more than a little shaky, and he knew his boyfriend would be completely undependable. Still, he grabbed his hand in an effort to steady his own trembling ones. He squeezed hard in his fear and glared when Changkyun pulls away.

 

"Remind me why I'm here again?" Changkyun teased.

 

"You're my loyal boyfriend who doesn't want me to scream myself to death in an overhyped house of horrors. Also, Minhyuk hyung wanted you to take pictures to prove I actually came here." Jooheon reminded him matter-of-factly. Changkyun only smiled, and rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. Jooheon didn’t like to admit it, but there are times when Changkyun felt older than him, with his mature calmness. Changkyun always teased, but is without judgement, full of amused affection for Jooheon.

 

The staff began to put people in groups to enter, and Jooheon's heart went wild in its palpitations. Changkyun took his hand quietly.

 

He looked around at the people surrounding them. Young adults seeking a break from university, parents being dragged on leashes by their hyperactive toddlers and, at the very front of the queue: A 180cm unicorn, surrounded by a bunch of children. He had to stifle a laugh. The unicorn's iridescent horn reflected light in Jooheon's direction, basically screaming for his continued attention. Jooheon could only swallow his laughs as he continued staring at the grown man in a unicorn costume. The fluffy pink tail hanging limply off the man, his matching pink shoes, and his generally defeated demeanour only added to the hilarity of his look.

 

Jooheon's nerves calmed a little just at the sight of this sad unicorn shining in the crowd. He tried not to laugh too hard – the best of us have been bullied into ridiculous things by cute kids. He was about to nudge Changkyun to point him out. All thoughts of that flew out of his head when they were called to join the first group. Oh fuck. Jooheon readied himself, making himself take a vow not to swear, no matter how terrified, in front of impressionable children.

 

They joined the unicorn's group. He appeared to be overwhelmed physically, with a kid holding onto each hand, two more clinging to his shirt. Jooheon, on the other hand, was alight in happiness. Jooheon watched as the unicorn bends down, speaking to the group quietly. With his  ~~ hooves ~~ hands, he adjusted the little vampire's cloak and patted her head affectionately. Jooheon's knees went weak as he was faced with four adorable children, their chubby cheeks and tiny bodies making his heart explode and melt at the same time. He waved to them with a smile, and they smiled back excitedly.

 

One of the kids, Princess Peach, suddenly approached Jooheon, poking at his hand.

 

"Hello!" She said. He felt himself smile immediately. "I'm a princess!"

 

He bowed indulgently. She beamed. He shook her small hand. She dragged him to her group of friends, introducing each of them. He hi-fived Snorlax, Buzz Lightyear, and the tiny vampire one by one.

 

"And this is uncle Hyungwon, the pink unicorn!"

 

Jooheon finally looked up at their glittering chaperone. In any other context, "uncle Hyungwon the pink unicorn" would have been a ridiculously beautiful man. His prettily lined eyes were wide, dark long lashes making him look even more doll-like. His cheeks were, for lack of a better word, fluffy. His plump lips seemed to be spilling over with colour. But in this context, those doll eyes were filled with regret, fluffy cheeks red with embarrassment, lips parched probably from yelling after the boisterous kids all day. His face was cast in shadow from the hood of the onesie. Even his glittery horn looked droopy. Jooheon could only fight back a laugh.

 

"Yep! That's me!" Hyungwon somehow summoned the energy to smile at Jooheon, although it hid a scream for help. "I'm a unicorn!"

 

Jooheon couldn’t reply – any moment the dam holding back his laughter threatens to break. It finally did when he tried to greet Hyungwon in return.

 

"Hey, Hyungwon the pink unicorn–" he said, voice breaking, tearing up with the hilarity of the situation. "It's g-g-great to meet you."

 

Changkyun thankfully collected him before he could descend into a fit of laughter. Changkyun groaned, filled with second-hand embarrassment. Jooheon knew he must look ridiculous breaking down into laughter in his boyfriend's arms as he was taken away. He saw the unicorn, Hyungwon as he'd been introduced as, pout and glare at him as he left. He couldn’t even feel bad, he was laughing too hard.

 

The group was finally ushered into the waiting hall, and enveloped in darkness. Jooheon desperately searched for and held onto Changkyun's hand, terrified of losing him in the crowd. Changkyun wrapped an arm around him, pulling him closer, lacing their fingers tighter so they wouldn’t be separated, and Jooheon was eternally grateful for his thoughtfulness.

 

* * *

 

Hyungwon tried to make sure he didn’t lose any of the children as they enter the waiting hall. Minji was hard enough to handle on her own, but egged on by her three similarly hyperactive friends, the four formed a group of little monsters that he was too weak to control. He herded Buzz Lightyear and Princess Peach ahead of him, making sure they didn’t go too far ahead, and held onto Minji and the Pokemon on either side.

 

The stares and ogles of the surrounding visitors were giving him a headache. The worst had been that extremely rude orange-haired man who'd broken down into laughter as he was greeting him. He frowned at the thought of the guy. Honestly, it was like he'd never seen a grown-ass man in a unicorn onesie before. Admittedly, he did look funny. But he didn’t think it warranted such a response. Through the darkness, he could see Minji tugging at her big fangs that had become uncomfortable for her. He reached down to help her remove them, only to smile indulgently as he was instantly smacked away by her soft hands as she lisped, "I can do it myself!"

 

They started going into the main attraction, and he felt Princess Peach squeeze his hand as the atmospheric music – screams and other such creepy sounds – starts to play. He squeezed back and smiled at her encouragingly. He had to admit he wasn’t the best with haunted houses himself, but the sight of all these kids clinging to him gave him a strength he wouldn't normally have, and he soldiered on with them in tow.

 

"Come on, hyung, we haven't even been into the first part yet," he heard from behind him. He turned to see the orange from before, clinging onto another guy, a look of pure panic on his face. Hyungwon bit back a grin. It was somewhat satisfying to see the asshole look so terrified. The other man seemed to be trying to pull him forward, laughing as he does, but the orange was rooted firmly onto the ground. Hyungwon took his kids and left the two men struggling by the doorway.

 

The next 25 minutes were filled with screams. Hyungwon's eardrums felt like they're exploding, with everyone around him (including himself) screeching at every jumpscare and every trick. His arms ache from carrying Buzz Lightyear, the combined weight of the kid and the costume weighing down on his skinny arms. The boy had begged to be carried, feeling unsafe on the ground. Hyungwon didn’t tell him that in a real-life scenario he'd probably be no help against whatever ghouls or zombies wished to attack them. He cuddled the trembling child closer when a pair of ghosts, drenched in (what was clearly fake) blood, came too close.

 

"I'm scared," whimpered Buzz. Hyungwon rubbed up and down his back, telling him nothing was going to hurt him. The group paused in their walk through the house so that he could count to see if they're all there. If he was being honest, taking care of these bundles of energy was much less exhausting than he thought it would be – they were more adorable than they were draining, and he just wanted to make sure they had fun. His affection went down a little as he nearly went deaf when a plastic spider dropped from the ceiling, causing the four kids to scream.

 

Simultaneously, there was an unnaturally high-pitched scream from a few feet behind them. Minji jumped. They all turned around to see the source.

 

* * *

 

 

**October 31st, 2018**

**7pm**

 

Changkyun cackles as Hyungwon chases Jooheon around the apartment. 

 

“You cannot eat the candy that we prepared for the kids!” Jooheon ignores Hyungwon’s yells, a chocolate bar between his teeth as he runs. Changkyun watches safely from the dining table as he leaps over their couch and heads for the balcony, a bunch of chocolate bars in one hand. Hyungwon, being much slower than Jooheon, gives up on running halfway across their apartment, laughing as he attempts to keep a straight face. 

 

Hyungwon crawls over to where Changkyun is. He pokes him with his foot. 

 

“Go deal with your boyfriend!” 

 

“He’s  _ your _ boyfriend.” 

 

Jooheon comes back, scowling, when he realises Hyungwon’s given up on him. Once he’s close enough, Hyungwon tackles him with unexpected speed. Jooheon shouts as the candy is wrestled out of his hands. Hyungwon puts the chocolate aside and goes for Jooheon’s lips. Changkyun pretends to throw up – even for a relationship of three years, his boyfriends are disgustingly cute. 

 

“You were a lot of help!” Hyungwon scolds, when they finally join him at the table. Changkyun just shrugs, offering him a lollipop. Jooheon snatches it out of his hands. Hyungwon doesn’t even fight for it back, smiling indulgently at Jooheon. Changkyun thinks the look on both their faces is probably sickening right now, but what can you do when your boyfriend is just this lovable? 

 

* * *

 

 

**October 31st, 2015**

 

Jooheon thought the worst thing about being in a haunted house was that there were so many people around to watch him descend into madness. The spiders, the zombies, the detached limbs – those, he could handle. Well, he  _ couldn’t _ handle them, and that was plain to see. But still, he thought this whole haunted house process would go a lot easier if people weren't staring at him, judging as Changkyun dragged him through the building. (It would also be a lot easier if he didn't have to deal with this at all, but he had no one but himself to blame for that.)

 

Changkyun hadn’t let go of his hand since they had entered, and occasionally looked over at him in concern. Jooheon didn’t think his fear would turn into anxiety anytime soon, but who was to say? He was thankful for Changkyun's consideration. He wanted to tell him, but decided to save his vocal energy for screaming every time anyone (including regular humans) got a step too close.

 

In the haunted house, it always felt like something is slipping by him or creeping towards him. He willed himself not to scream. A shout was still shocked from him when he heard a cacophony of screams up ahead. He practically jumped into Changkyun's arms.

 

Eyes immediately turned to him. He caught sight of the friendly Princess Peach, and uncle glittering unicorn, and their entire ensemble, all watching him with wide eyes. He could swear his cheeks must be the same colour as his hair by then. Snorlax giggled. The little vampire shushed him. Close by, another adult snickered. Jooheon felt his mood change, his heart drop, suddenly enveloped by anxiety.

 

Sensing his mood drop, Changkyun put an arm around his waist, pulling him imperceptibly closer, just to remind him he wasn’t alone. Jooheon leaned into him. It would be humiliating to start crying in a haunted house, surrounded by a bunch of toddlers and teenagers.

 

"Man up, bro!" Someone yelled from the back. The dam broke. Jooheon tried not to make noise as the tears began to fall, but his senses drowned in the wave of panic, and he was not sure what his body was really doing anymore. A banshee shrieked further down the line. Too many things were happening at once.

 

Changkyun reacted immediately to his boyfriend's tears, standing protectively by his side. He didn’t say anything, just blocked Jooheon's view of everyone else.  _ Focus on me _ , he reminded him silently, giving his shaking hands another squeeze. Focus on me, he commanded, pressing a kiss onto the back of Jooheon's hand. "Focus on me," he whispers, taking Jooheon by the hand to keep them moving. The staring eased quickly as the scares resumed. Changkyun rubbed circles onto his knuckles. Jooheon breathed.

 

"I'm okay."

 

Changkyun nodded but didn’t release his hand.

 

Jooheon nearly jumped when his other hand was grabbed.

 

"Hello uncle!" The little princess peach shouted at him, over the din. He lit up immediately. He bowed to her again. She bounced in excitement. Changkyun, knowing him too well, let him go so he could pick her up. She squealed when she was lifted off the floor, and clung onto him as he swung her playfully. He let her fingers dig into his arms in shock when a door opened to reveal a mummy. Children must really be the cure to negativity, he thought, as her giggles drowned out the chaos around them. By the time he had put her down, he was surrounded by her friends, all clamoring to be picked up as well. "Uncle Hyungwon the pink unicorn" arrived a few seconds later. Jooheon smiled at him sheepishly and is met with an un-amused expression.

 

Changkyun met Hyungwon's eyes. Jooheon saw an expression identical to his appear on Changkyun's face. Hyungwon looked from him to Changkyun, then back to him. He narrowed his eyes at them.

 

“Why’s he staring at us like that?” Changkyun whispered. 

 

“I laughed at him. What about you?” Jooheon whispered back. Hyungwon was still watching them, getting more annoyed the more they whispered to each other. 

 

“I tripped the tiny vampire.” 

 

“Her name is Minji.” Hyungwon snapped. He scooped his baby cousin back into his arms, glaring at the couple that had both annoyed him so much that day. They both smiled awkwardly at him. He didn’t smile back. Thankfully, he let the matter pass, choosing to coo over his little children instead. They giggled as he herded them ahead. Jooheon watched the unicorn man acting so grown up, and resisted the urge to laugh at him again. Princess Peach was still holding his hand, so the couple followed the group. 

 

When they exited the house at last, Jooheon could finally breathe. The kids chattered excitedly, going through what seemed to be a detailed play-by-play of the events in the place. Hyungwon watched them with gentle eyes, carefully adjusting the helmet of the little Buzz Lightyear. He nodded interestedly as they shouted over each other, though the dip in his shoulders and the glazed look in his eyes indicated his exhaustion. Jooheon felt his heart skip inexplicably. 

 

Changkyun had the same mesmerized look on his face when Jooheon looked over.

 

* * *

 

 

**October 31st, 2018**

**9.31pm**

 

They run out of candy much earlier than expected. The main reason for that currently sits at the foot of the couch, nibbling on the last of the candy corn. Hyungwon and Changkyun leave Jooheon to hog the candy. Changkyun sets off to find some candles to light, setting the mood for the horror movie they plan to watch. Hyungwon leaves a sign outside saying, “ _ SORRY, WE’RE OUT OF CANDY! HAPPY HALLOWEEN! _ ” and locks up early. 

 

Hyungwon watches as Changkyun returns to where Jooheon is, grabbing the last piece of candy just as Jooheon prepares to put it in his mouth. They bicker adorably. Hyungwon wants to put them in his pocket. He takes his mug of cider and the DVD of the movie as he heads over to them. 

 

The world outside – the roaring of car engines as they speed past on a Wednesday night, the babbling of children demanding candy from their neighbours, the occasional shutter sound as parents proudly take pictures of their kids – slips away. Hyungwon focuses on his boyfriends. Jooheon lights the candle as Changkyun readjusts their pile of blankets. The lights are off in their apartment. They sit, illuminated by a candle named “Witches’ Brew”. No one is real but the three of them. 

 

Every year on Halloween, Hyungwon takes the day off to decorate the house. Changkyun, the nerd, buys their decorations beforehand, and they spend the day putting up pumpkins, styrofoam bats, and plastic spiders. The house is all set when Jooheon comes home from the office. They watch Coraline, to satisfy Changkyun. They watch a real horror movie afterwards, (despite Changkyun’s claims that Coraline  _ is _ a horror movie) to satisfy the requirements of Halloween. Hyungwon loves the routine just a little less than he loves the two of them. 

 

Hyungwon puts his head on Changkyun’s shoulder. Jooheon leans over and pushes his hair out of his eyes for him. 

 

“You know what your hair reminds me of?” Jooheon asks, a playful edge to his voice. 

 

_ (A glittering horn, bright pink shoes, an overly-fluffy tail)  _

 

Hyungwon raises an eyebrow, all but daring Jooheon to bring up the day they met. 

 

_ (Bright red cheeks, a pink heart on the butt)  _

 

Changkyun takes the dare. 

 

“Uncle Hyungwon the pink unicorn can’t hold a candle to this.” 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed that! It's a bit messy, but I hope I conveyed the softness well. 
> 
> As always, you can find me on tumblr @sakurachae, and on twitter @hyunghoney! 
> 
> BEFORE YOU GO: Is anyone interested in participating in a KIHYUNGWON BINGO? Go check out @kihyungwonbingo on twitter, and more information will be posted soon!


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